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the goods:
pumpkin loaves: 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter (at room temp) 2 cups brown sugar 4 eggs 3 tblspns molasses dash vanilla essence 1 tblspn pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tspns cinnamon, 1 tspn ginger, 1/2 tspn cloves, 1/2 tspn nutmeg) 1 cup canned pumpkin 2 1/2 cups self raising flour 2 tblspns milk meyer lemon filling: 8oz cream cheese 1/2 cup ricotta cheese zest 2 meyer lemons 1 cup confectioners / icing sugar
2-3 tspns meyer lemon juice
time: 30 minutes active, 90 minutes total you will need:
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mini pumpkin loaves with creamy meyer lemon filling If you dare eschew the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert, then you'd better have something that is going to make the gathered crowd go 'Aah!' instead of 'Aww!' These little pumpkins loaves are as cute as puppy dogs and a whole lot tastier. Spicy and moist and filled with an unbelievably light and fragrant filling, I like to serve them with a warm caramel, rum and maple dipping sauce. It makes for a stickily silent moment as everyone realises that, in spite of the meal they've just consumed, there is (after all!) a little space left for dessert. The ricotta whipped in with the cream cheese makes the filling heavenly light.
pumpkin
loaves: heat the oven to 400f
butter the cake
pans and line each of them with a little strip of
baking parchment
cream the butter and
sugar in a large mixing bowl. beat until pale
brown. beat the eggs in one at a time add a dash of vanilla, the molasses, spice and pumpkin and beat to combine. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point, but it is like a child throwing a tantrum. Ignore it and it will pass. add the flour and beat lightly to incorporate. pour about 1-2 tablespoons of milk in to loosen up the batter, beat just enough to combine spoon the batter into the cake pans, filling each about 2/3 - 3/4 full bake until risen and slightly browned on top. They will feel firm to the touch. rest and cool in their tins, leave them in their parchment meyer lemon filling: beat cream cheese, ricotta and lemon zest until combined and lightly whipped ( a couple of minutes with an electric beater) add the confectioners / icing sugar and beat to combine. pour the lemon juice in and continue to beat at a high speed for 2-3 minutes. chill the mixture until ready to use putting it together: cool the cakes briefly in the fridge or freezer. Use an apple corer to create a filling through the length of each cake (be careful not to break the cake in half). Use an icing pipe to fill the cakes with the lemon filling. Cakes can be filled a couple of hours before being served. Serve them at room temperature. tasty side kick:
mix 1 cup of store
bought caramel sauce with 2 tblspns each dark rum and
grade 'b' maple syrup. Stir to combine. Zap in the
microwave or heat on the stove top.
tip:If you
haven't got meyer lemons or mini loaf pans at hand,
then don't sweat; just make do! Regular zest and
cupcake pans will suffice.
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